diff --git a/Src/Lib/Settings.cpp b/Src/Lib/Settings.cpp
index 8937d4c39..599cb9fed 100644
--- a/Src/Lib/Settings.cpp
+++ b/Src/Lib/Settings.cpp
@@ -1670,7 +1670,7 @@ LRESULT CSettingsDlg::OnBackup( WORD wNotifyCode, WORD wID, HWND hWndCtl, BOOL&
 		ofn.lpstrTitle=title;
 		ofn.lpstrDefExt=L".xml";
 		ofn.Flags=OFN_DONTADDTORECENT|OFN_ENABLESIZING|OFN_EXPLORER|OFN_PATHMUSTEXIST|OFN_OVERWRITEPROMPT|OFN_HIDEREADONLY|OFN_NOCHANGEDIR;
-		if (GetSaveFileName(&ofn))
+		if (GetSaveFileNameSafe(&ofn))
 		{
 			CString err=g_SettingsManager.SaveSettingsXml(path);
 			if (!err.IsEmpty())
@@ -1699,7 +1699,7 @@ LRESULT CSettingsDlg::OnBackup( WORD wNotifyCode, WORD wID, HWND hWndCtl, BOOL&
 		CString title=LoadStringEx(IDS_XML_TITLE_LOAD);
 		ofn.lpstrTitle=title;
 		ofn.Flags=OFN_DONTADDTORECENT|OFN_ENABLESIZING|OFN_EXPLORER|OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST|OFN_HIDEREADONLY|OFN_NOCHANGEDIR;
-		if (GetOpenFileName(&ofn))
+		if (GetOpenFileNameSafe(&ofn))
 		{
 			SetCurTab(m_Index,true); // reload tab once to force-close any active edit boxes
 			CString error=g_SettingsManager.LoadSettingsXml(path);
diff --git a/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.cpp b/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.cpp
index 9372677c5..9b988e282 100644
--- a/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.cpp
+++ b/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <uxtheme.h>
 #include <map>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <thread>
 
 const KNOWNFOLDERID FOLDERID_DesktopRoot={'DESK', 'TO', 'P', {'D', 'E', 'S', 'K', 'T', 'O', 'P', 0x00}};
 
@@ -1193,7 +1194,7 @@ bool BrowseCommandHelper( HWND parent, wchar_t *text )
 	ofn.lpstrFile=text;
 	ofn.nMaxFile=_MAX_PATH;
 	ofn.Flags=OFN_DONTADDTORECENT|OFN_ENABLESIZING|OFN_EXPLORER|OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST|OFN_HIDEREADONLY|OFN_NOCHANGEDIR|OFN_NODEREFERENCELINKS;
-	if (GetOpenFileName(&ofn))
+	if (GetOpenFileNameSafe(&ofn))
 	{
 		wchar_t buf[_MAX_PATH];
 		UnExpandEnvStrings(text,buf,_countof(buf));
@@ -1216,7 +1217,8 @@ bool BrowseCommandHelper( HWND parent, wchar_t *text )
 	return false;
 }
 
-bool BrowseLinkHelper( HWND parent, wchar_t *text, bool bFoldersOnly )
+// Internal implementation that must be run on an STA thread with COM initialized.
+static bool BrowseLinkHelperImpl( HWND parent, wchar_t *text, bool bFoldersOnly )
 {
 	DoEnvironmentSubst(text,_MAX_PATH);
 
@@ -1276,6 +1278,41 @@ bool BrowseLinkHelper( HWND parent, wchar_t *text, bool bFoldersOnly )
 	return pResult!=NULL;
 }
 
+// Run IFileOpenDialog on a separate STA thread and pump messages on the caller while waiting.
+bool BrowseLinkHelper( HWND parent, wchar_t *text, bool bFoldersOnly )
+{
+	bool result = false;
+
+	std::thread worker([&parent, &text, &bFoldersOnly, &result]() mutable {
+		CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED);
+		result = BrowseLinkHelperImpl(parent, text, bFoldersOnly);
+		CoUninitialize();
+	});
+
+	// Pump messages while waiting for the worker (dialog) to finish
+	while (true)
+	{
+		HANDLE hWorker = worker.native_handle();
+		if (MsgWaitForMultipleObjects(1, &hWorker, FALSE, INFINITE, QS_ALLINPUT) == WAIT_OBJECT_0)
+			break;
+
+		MSG msg;
+		while (PeekMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0, PM_REMOVE))
+		{
+			if (msg.message == WM_QUIT)
+			{
+				PostQuitMessage((int)msg.wParam);
+				break;
+			}
+			TranslateMessage(&msg);
+			DispatchMessage(&msg);
+		}
+	}
+	worker.join();
+
+	return result;
+}
+
 bool BrowseIconHelper( HWND parent, wchar_t *text )
 {
 	int id=0;
@@ -2011,7 +2048,7 @@ LRESULT CBrowseForIconDlg::OnBrowse( WORD wNotifyCode, WORD wID, HWND hWndCtl, B
 	CString title=LoadStringEx(IDS_ICON_TITLE);
 	ofn.lpstrTitle=title;
 	ofn.Flags=OFN_DONTADDTORECENT|OFN_ENABLESIZING|OFN_EXPLORER|OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST|OFN_HIDEREADONLY|OFN_NOCHANGEDIR;
-	if (GetOpenFileName(&ofn))
+	if (GetOpenFileNameSafe(&ofn))
 	{
 		wchar_t buf[_MAX_PATH];
 		UnExpandEnvStrings(path,buf,_countof(buf));
@@ -2210,7 +2247,7 @@ bool BrowseForBitmap( HWND hWndParent, wchar_t *path, bool bAllowJpeg )
 	CString title=LoadStringEx(IDS_BMP_TITLE);
 	ofn.lpstrTitle=title;
 	ofn.Flags=OFN_DONTADDTORECENT|OFN_ENABLESIZING|OFN_EXPLORER|OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST|OFN_HIDEREADONLY|OFN_NOCHANGEDIR;
-	if (GetOpenFileName(&ofn))
+	if (GetOpenFileNameSafe(&ofn))
 	{
 		wchar_t buf[_MAX_PATH];
 		UnExpandEnvStrings(path,buf,_countof(buf));
@@ -2242,7 +2279,7 @@ bool BrowseForSound( HWND hWndParent, wchar_t *path )
 	CString title=LoadStringEx(IDS_WAV_TITLE);
 	ofn.lpstrTitle=title;
 	ofn.Flags=OFN_DONTADDTORECENT|OFN_ENABLESIZING|OFN_EXPLORER|OFN_FILEMUSTEXIST|OFN_HIDEREADONLY|OFN_NOCHANGEDIR;
-	if (GetOpenFileName(&ofn))
+	if (GetOpenFileNameSafe(&ofn))
 	{
 		wchar_t buf[_MAX_PATH];
 		UnExpandEnvStrings(path,buf,_countof(buf));
@@ -3630,3 +3667,49 @@ DWORD ParseColor(const wchar_t* str)
 	wchar_t* end;
 	return wcstoul(str, &end, 16) & 0xFFFFFF;
 }
+
+// Run GetOpenFileName/GetSaveFileName on a separate STA thread and pump messages on the caller
+template <typename auto Fnc>
+static BOOL GetFileNameSafe(OPENFILENAME* pOfn)
+{
+	BOOL result = FALSE;
+
+	std::thread worker([&pOfn, &result]() mutable {
+		CoInitializeEx(NULL, COINIT_APARTMENTTHREADED);
+		result = Fnc(pOfn);
+		CoUninitialize();
+		});
+
+	// Pump messages while waiting for the worker (dialog) to finish
+	while (true)
+	{
+		HANDLE hWorker = worker.native_handle();
+		if (MsgWaitForMultipleObjects(1, &hWorker, FALSE, INFINITE, QS_ALLINPUT) == WAIT_OBJECT_0)
+			break;
+
+		MSG msg;
+		while (PeekMessage(&msg, NULL, 0, 0, PM_REMOVE))
+		{
+			if (msg.message == WM_QUIT)
+			{
+				PostQuitMessage((int)msg.wParam);
+				break;
+			}
+			TranslateMessage(&msg);
+			DispatchMessage(&msg);
+		}
+	}
+	worker.join();
+
+	return result;
+}
+
+BOOL GetOpenFileNameSafe(OPENFILENAME* pOfn)
+{
+	return GetFileNameSafe<GetOpenFileNameW>(pOfn);
+}
+
+BOOL GetSaveFileNameSafe(OPENFILENAME* pOfn)
+{
+	return GetFileNameSafe<GetSaveFileNameW>(pOfn);
+}
diff --git a/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.h b/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.h
index acdea3f63..8a66f72c3 100644
--- a/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.h
+++ b/Src/Lib/SettingsUIHelper.h
@@ -395,3 +395,7 @@ DWORD BgrToRgb(DWORD val);
 
 // parse color from hexadecimal string
 DWORD ParseColor(const wchar_t* str);
+
+// safe versions of GetOpenFileName/GetSaveFileName (run API on a separate STA thread and pump messages on the caller)
+BOOL GetOpenFileNameSafe(OPENFILENAME* pOfn);
+BOOL GetSaveFileNameSafe(OPENFILENAME* pOfn);